There was drama throughout the 13-lap FIM Supersport 300 World Championship at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the Pirelli French Round as Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) took his second WorldSSP300 victory, after Marc Garcia (Yamaha MS Racing) was penalised for a last-lap track limits infringement which dropped him down to second place.
All 13 laps were full of drama as Vannucci claimed his second victory of his WorldSSP300 career and becoming the first Italian rider to win more than once race, all coming in his rookie season. Vannucci was in the second group but, when drama struck the lead runners, he was able to move up the order. From there, he battled with Garcia, Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team), Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) and Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) for the win.
Garcia had crossed the line in first place but was demoted one place for going on the green on the run to the line, demoting the 2017 Champion once place behind Vannucci at the end of the race. However, he does close the gap to Diaz in the Championship standings with Diaz claiming third place with Diaz now on nine podiums in WorldSSP300; eight of them have come this season, meaning he now is tied for the all-time podium record in the Championship. He is also on a run of five consecutive podiums, tying the record with Alfonso Coppola and Manuel Gonzalez. Vannucci, Garcia and Diaz made it the first all-Yamaha podium since Magny-Cours in 2017.
Lehmann claimed fourth spot but missed out on a podium by just two tenths, with the German completing yet another stunning comeback having lost ground over the opening few laps of the race. Both Iglesias and Di Sora had to serve penalties during the race, with Iglesias penalised one Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding in Free Practice 2, while Di Sora had a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start, but both were able to finish in fifth and sixth respectively.
Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) was another who was penalised, this time with a back of the grid start, due to irresponsible riding but he battled his way back up the order to claim seventh spot ahead of Jose Luis Perez Gonzales (Accolade Smrz Racing) in eighth place. It was also a strong race for Kawakami’s teammate, Humberto Maier, with the Brazilian finishing in ninth ahead of Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing).
Filippo Rovelli (Team BrCorse) had a race to forget on his return to the Championship, as he crashed out of Race 1 at Turn 9 on the second lap. On Lap 5, Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) and Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) crashed at Turn 5 with Ieraci retiring from the race, although Sabatucci continued but later crashed at Turn 15 on the same lap; retiring from the race. The incident between the two Italian riders will be investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards after the race. Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) was also a retirement from the race.
On Lap 9 of 13, there was a pile-up at Turn 5 which involved Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse), Dirk Geiger (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki), Victor Steeman (MTM Kawasaki) and Hugo De Cancellis (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300), all in the lead group, with Gennai and De Cancellis retiring. Steeman was able to continue alongside Geiger. The incident will be investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards at the end of the race. Geiger was able to finish in 16th place while Steeman brought his bike into the pits.
The top six following WorldSSP300 Race 1, full results here:
1. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsports Italia Yamaha)
2. Marc Garcia (Yamaha MS Racing) +0.078s
3. Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) +0.430s
4. Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.636s
5. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) +1.140s
6. Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) +5.647s
Fastest Lap: Matteo Vannucci, Yamaha – 1’52.209s (New Lap Record)
